Electrical power is supplied to electrical devices, such as televisions, stereo systems, toasters, ovens and other domestic and non-domestic appliances, through power outlets, which usually are equipped with manual switches to allow turning on and turning off of the mains power supply to the electrical device. Further, lighting is controlled by electrical switching devices (often simply referred to as a light switch), which allows power supply to be turned on and turned off to the light.
Some electrical switching devices (power outlets, light switches and other like electrical switching devices) have only provided means for manually switching the power supply on and off. However, such manual switches do not provide for any automated switching, as is often desired by a user. Such automated switching may be desired for the purposes of power saving, switching electrical devices and lights on and off during absences from a property to simulate the effect of people being present for security, or for other purposes.
Automated switching devices include mechanically or electrically operated timing devices, which can be plugged into a power outlet and then set to control the timing of when power is supplied to and cut off from an electrical device, such as a lamp. Electrical or mechanical timing devices for plugging into power outlets are problematic in that they are bulky, they are difficult to program, they do not have many programming options for on and off power periods, and they are often inaccurate. Another problem with mechanical devices is that they produce a lot of noise, they are expensive and they are not energy efficient because they consume a lot of power in operating a motor for the timing device.
Other devices include large, complex and sophisticated centralised power control systems, which are very expensive and complicated to install in a building which is being constructed. Such complex centralised power control systems are also more much more complicated to install (retro-fit) in an already-built property. Further, these systems are difficult to program, as they often include many control options.
A problem with devices, as discussed above, is that they do not result in sufficiently effective saving of electrical power. Some of the devices are stated by manufacturers or others to be power saving devices, but, even if they do save power, the amount of power saved is relatively small. Often the devices do not result in a net saving of power due to the device itself consuming too much power during its operation.
One example prior art device is identified in European Patent Application No. 384881 (A1), in which the device is primarily addressed to safe operating. However, the device is relatively complex and contains many electrical components, which would result in a device which consumes a relatively large amount of electrical power in operation. Further, the device of this document does not include any sort of timing mechanism for switching on and switching off the electrical power supply.
Yet another example prior art device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,771, which is a large device, again having many complex electrical components, which results in consuming relative large amounts of electrical power during operation. This device comprises a programming interface built into the device, which is not always readily accessible when the device is being used. Further, the programming interface is not simple to use and there is only one interface that can be provided with such a device, such that it is not possible to use other interfaces for programming the device according to a user's choice. Moreover, the device is configured so as to be completely external to an electrical power supply socket. Due to being situated externally, the device cannot operate particularly efficiently in order to save power with its timed power supply.
Yet another example prior art device is mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 7,964,989, which comprises a unit that is completely external to an electrical power supply socket, and is plugged into such a socket, with an electrical device, such as a lamp, being plugged into the unit. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 7,964,989 is able to be operated by a remote control device, such as a computer tablet. However, the device does not have any in-built timing, so is restricted to being operated directly whenever a user desires to switch on or switch off electrical power supply to, for example, a lamp. In this regard, the device is unable to accept any programming instructions for operating times, wherein those times are stored within the device. Accordingly, for timed operation, this device would need to operate in conjunction with the computer tablet, wherein the tablet holds any timing instructions. This results in a problem that for timed switching operation, the device and the computer tablet must always be used together, which is likely to be an inconvenience for a user, and relies on the computer tablet to be working and operational during such desired switching periods. Further, this device, being externally located from the electrical power supply socket, has a similar problem to the device identified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,771, being that, as an external unit, it is relatively energy inefficient, and would not lead to sufficient saving of electrical power during operation.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least ameliorate, at least one of the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and/or to overcome, or at least ameliorate, at least one problem in the prior art, which has not been mentioned above, and/or to provide at least a useful alternative to the prior art devices, systems and/or methods.